Planned Parenthood rejoices: Obama commits to women’s right to choose

Parenthood: n. the state of being a parent, having or bearing a child.

Becoming a parent is perhaps the most serious and sacred responsibility a woman can undertake. And boy did I feel it when my first child was born! Bearing a child forever changes you. Every child deserves a mother who wanted and planned to have him.

The folks at Planned Parenthood and other public health agencies that support women’s rights to reproductive health care must be dancing in the streets. When was the last time we heard a president say anything remotely as clear and affirmative as this?

Statement of President Obama on the 36th Anniversary of Roe v. Wade

On the 36th anniversary of Roe v. Wade, we are reminded that this decision not only protects women’s health and reproductive freedom, but stands for a broader principle: that government should not intrude on our most private family matters. I remain committed to protecting a woman’s right to choose.

While this is a sensitive and often divisive issue, no matter what our views, we are united in our determination to prevent unintended pregnancies, reduce the need for abortion, and support women and families in the choices they make. To accomplish these goals, we must work to find common ground to expand access to affordable contraception, accurate health information, and preventative services.

On this anniversary, we must also recommit ourselves more broadly to ensuring that our daughters have the same rights and opportunities as our sons: the chance to attain a world-class education; to have fulfilling careers in any industry; to be treated fairly and paid equally for their work; and to have no limits on their dreams. That is what I want for women everywhere.

Hallelujah! It’s a NEW DAY!!!

Update Friday 1/23: It’s even better! Today Obama ended the Bush administration’s ban on giving federal money to international groups that perform abortions or provide information on the option. These groups did a whole lot more than abortion, and were really hampered for lack of funds to give out information on contraception, AIDs and other diseases, and provide basic women’s preventive health care.

4 responses to “Planned Parenthood rejoices: Obama commits to women’s right to choose”

And our local news rag carried a letter from a frequent contributor urging people to contact their reps ,protesting, because ‘all Planned Parenthood is good for is performing abortions’.
I think it’s because they failed to plan to be parents, and want everyone else to make the same mistakes they did, to suffer the way they did, and to have their children grow up damaged the way theirs did.

Our local PP affiliate spends a minute percentage of their budget on abortions. The vast majority of the money goes to medical exams (pap smears, etc) for women who have no physician, health education and contraception.

I’m drafting a letter to the editor, countering the anti PP and Freedom of Choice writers (we’ve had more). According to the 2006-2007 annual report, abortion was only 3% of services provided by PP.
What really floors me is the inherent contradiction in the Anti-abortion/Republican way of thinking. We don’t like abortion: you can’t have an abortion. But we also don’t like contraception, so you can’t use contraception either. And we really don’t like women on welfare having lots of babies, because they’re a drag on our economy. So don’t have babies, don’t use contraception, and don’t have an abortion. Oh, but don’t forget, the husband is head of the home, and if he wants sex you really can’t refuse him.